This invention relates to a voice processing system, and more particularly, to an improved voice processing architecture that permits multiple different resources from multiple different vendors to operate with one another. This invention also provides an optional technique that optimizes from where the resources are allocated for any call.
Voice processing systems have become prevalent in modern day society. Such systems typically involve a telephone caller dialing into a computerized integrated voice response (IVR) system. The interaction between the remote user dialing in and the computerized system varies widely and is application specific. Typical examples of such systems include banking systems which allow a user to transfer funds between accounts and ascertain account balances, credit card corporation systems, etc.
Recently, it has also become popular to merge together these voice processing systems with facsimile, e-mail and other capabilities. One such example is what is termed fax-on-demand. In fax-on-demand systems, a remote user dials in to a computer and enters through his telephone keypad the digits corresponding to a particular item or product number. Additionally, a facsimile number may be entered via a touch tone keypad, and is interpreted by this system. The fax-on-demand system then transmits documentation regarding the particular item or product to a facsimile machine located at the specified remote telephone number.
In view of the evolving and complex nature of many of today""s modern voice processing systems, it has become standard to construct such voice processing systems from a plurality of different client applications. The voice processing applications may include fax-on-demand, voice mail, etc., all interconnected via a local area network or other such means.
It has also become fairly standard to utilize voice processing resources flexibly between calls. For example, typical voice processing resources include such items as tone detectors for detecting the digits entered via a DTMF keypad, echo cancellers for filtering echo from the telephone network, voice recognition software for allowing a remote user to input commands via voice, etc.
One problem with such systems is that the voice processing applications, as well as the resources, tend to vary widely in their design and implementation. Multiple vendors each implement their systems differently and it is difficult for these items to work together. Additionally, the systems are not very flexible because there usually exists a set of circuit boards on a single platform for implementing all of the required call processing functions. Once the resources on the platform are used up, calls simply cannot be processed and are instead blocked.
In view of the foregoing, there exists a need in the art for a more flexible and configurable voice processing system which can optimally utilize the resources of a variety of different vendors in a variety of different configurations. The system should also permit an application to operate irrespective of different types of locations of resources (tone detectors, signal generators, etc.) that are being used to implement the voice processing application.
The above and other problems of the prior art are overcome and a technical advance is achieved in accordance with the present invention which relates to a more flexible user configurable and higher capacity multiple platform voice processing system. In accordance with the invention, a plurality of call processing resources are arranged on various circuit cards (i.e., voice processing cards). A plurality of such cards are installed into a particular voice processing platform. Plural voice processing platforms are then interconnected, preferably via an ATM switch. Additionally, the ATM switch may be replaced with other switching arrangements, and the platforms may be interconnected with different types of switching arrangements.
A plurality of voice processing applications, possibly running on different computers, communicate with a CT server which queries all of the different voice processing resources and configures the required resources for processing a particular call. The resources may be from different vendors from the same or different voice processing boards, from the same or different voice processing platforms, and may change during the duration of any particular call. The entire configuration of the voice processing resources is isolated from, and invisible to, the voice processing application. As a result, the application can operate in an identical manner whether voice processing resources are allocated to process the particular call are allocated from the same or different locations.
In a preferred embodiment, calls may be processed by first attempting to allocate resources from the same board, then from the same platform, then the same location. Only if necessary are resources that are remotely located with respect to each other allocated to service a call.
In an additional embodiment, resources required to process a call might be allocated based upon any methodology that minimizes the system xe2x80x9ccost.xe2x80x9d An exemplary technique is disclosed wherein costs are assigned to each allocated resource and to the allocation of communications channels between resources. Importantly, the disclosed technique is able to minimize the cost of a group even when the costs of various resources and communications channels change during system operation, due to variance in system loading and other conditions.